shuffle the deck
by shuues
Summary: A group of Phantom Thieves band together to steal hearts and change the world, as expected. But something- or multiple things, rather- within their group feel changed- things are different this time around. [a persona 5 roleswap fic]
1. out

He'd been having a nightmare. The whispers of people echoing around a dim subway tunnel, shadows stretching on the walls, shifting and pulling until they finally settled on the pattern of prison bars around him, caging and closing in- he couldn't _breathe_ like this, that trapped feeling felt as if his lungs were crushed too, his entire body pressed up against, _against_ -

The train car hit a bump, jostling everyone inside, and his head hit the door that he'd been pushed up against by the others packed in tight. The sun flitted in and out of view, peeking behind window-covered buildings, no shadows in sight, and yet.. He was grateful for the end of his nightmare, but something was _wrong_ ; was he supposed to be here? Immediately he wondered if the feeling of dread building up in his stomach was a result of taking the wrong train somewhere, of taking a wrong turn.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he struggled with pulling it out while sandwiched between a door and the businessman pushing at his back. A text from his "family", if he could call it that- the distance between them made him hesitate in calling them even _that_.

' **Mother'**

 **We've decided. You'll be staying with a family friend for a year during your probation. Don't cause trouble.**

Laconic, as always. He checked his other messages; he'd gotten quite a few during his unintentional nap.

 **Unknown number**

 **this is kashihara, yknow, from class b? everyone is askig if u rlly like stabbed a guy or some shit like did u? it's k to tell me dude**

He deleted it without a second thought and tucked his phone back into his pocket. There was no need to reply, not that he cared anyway- they wouldn't believe him if he'd told the truth anyway.

 _A fuzzy memory, clouded like fog; there was a man, and a woman, and he'd pushed the man away because..? Because he'd been assaulting the woman, right? But the man had gotten mad, and pointed a finger at him- he was going to sue-_

 _He remembered being pinned to a cop car and handcuffed. Did he, really? The time at the station, getting a mugshot and seeing his dark red eyes staring back at him from a picture- it felt like he remembered it, but.._

He remembered reading somewhere that people had repressed traumatic memories, and shrugged it off. Maybe trying to remember the night he got arrested on false charges was a bad idea. He shook his head, gently blowing his neatly brushed bangs out of eyes. The sound of a soft voice, announcing their destination, pulled him out of his thoughts- _Yongen-Jaya, Yongen-jaya_. He was here.

The doors opened, freeing him from his spot. Taking a breath and musing over the fact that city air was infinitely times dirtier and stranger-smelling than any of his old towns', he pulled his bag- filled with what little possessions he had- up, and took his first steps into the city that he'd be living in for the next year.

The sun was high in the sky, and the slightly shorter buildings here caused him to shield his eyes from the harsh light. He'd left the station, glancing around at the alleyways and stores lining the streets; his destination was close, he knew it.

With his bag at his side and his mind racing with misplaced memories, Goro Akechi took his first steps into the alleyways of Yongen-jaya, ready to serve a year of probation in a city heavy with smog.

* * *

i dunno if it's being too vague right now or not but like listen it'll get somewhere


	2. overhand

Stalking through the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya, listening in on the conversations of the people passing by- Goro stared down at his phone without much thought to where he was going, how he was going to get there. _Sojiro Sakura_ , if Goro could recall correctly, was the name of the man who had so graciously offered to take him in for the year, and while he knew next to nothing about the man, the name brought the feeling of late nights, mellow coffee, soft conversations in the cozy warmth of a home he'd never been in before.

He'd been walking absent-mindedly, staring down at his phone and reading up on the latest highway accident when the aroma of coffee and _home_ wafting through the back alleys cut through the smoke and caught his attention. There was something oddly _nostalgic_ about this place- a little place called LeBlanc, apparently- yet Goro had never been here in his life, never set foot in Yongen-Jaya. Something compelled him to open the door, and before he could stop himself he continued on, pushing forwards, blinking at the familiar-yet-not sound of a bell chiming above him. The din of a tv blaring on in the background, a pot on the boil, and the soft conversations of an elderly couple- Goro took it all in, eyes darting around the cozy-looking shop before settling on a man with a newspaper in his lap. A crossword?

"Vertical, a shellfish used when farming pearls..."

"Oysters, sir?"

Suddenly, all eyes were on him, especially Sojiro's- something about how the man peered at him over those thin glasses, his scrutinizing gaze, felt off. Or, rather, Goro wasn't used to it being on _him_.

"So you're Akechi, right? Your parents told me all about you."

Ah, his parents- _foster_ parents, more specifically. Goro didn't want to think about them now, didn't want to think about them _ever_. What kind of family just sent their son off to the city by himself after getting arrested and falsely charged for... For..?

 _Assault. I assaulted someone._ The strange lapses in his memory were starting to become a hindrance. At some point he realized that he'd become lost in thought as the elderly couple left and excused themselves, and Sojiro continued to talk- he was barely paying attention as Sojiro took him up to a mess of an attic, explaining he was going to sleep there for the rest of the year. He'd only started to "come back" to it when Sojiro finally finished whatever his spiel was.

"We'll be going to Shujin Academy tomorrow," He'd done some looking into it- Shujin was the only school that would take someone like _him_ in, which he was grateful for. Sojiro simply looked unhappy with the situation, as Goro thought to himself- _I'm wasting his Sunday_.

There was that to look ahead to at least. Goro hoped that his current situation wouldn't get leaked out; maybe he could have a regular, normal high school year before his probation was over. He mulled his thoughts over for the rest of the night, pushing boxes to the side, trying not to breathe in the dust as he cleaned. By the time he'd decided to turn in for the night, everything was passable, at least. Sojiro seemed pretty pleased with it, as well- the man had come up after hearing the noise, a surprised smile just barely noticeable as he glanced around the once-cluttered attic before leaving. It was only a matter of time before Goro's exhaustion caught up to him- quickly putting on his sleepwear and putting his hair in a short ponytail, he yawned, so tired he barely registered falling back-first onto the mattress.

 _Probation, huh?_

Staring up at the ceiling, Goro tried to remember the night he'd been arrested- the rage he'd felt when seeing that man, when hearing his voice, it all felt more like a dream, than anything. He'd talked about _steering this country_ , all while the woman had begged him to stop, to let go, and Goro had made him let go... Had he? He couldn't have just stood around, and if he was here, that meant something had happened- and yet, _remembering_ it was difficult.

His phone buzzing softly brought him out of his thoughts, and he fumbled around a bit before fishing it out of his pocket. There was an app he'd never seen before, a bright red and black eye icon amidst all of his other apps, and Goro quickly deleted it. _That's strange,_ he thought, making sure nothing else in his phone was tampered with, before setting it to the side. _I've never downloaded anything like that_.

Everything seemed in order- at least, he _hoped_ everything seemed in order- and Goro sighed, laying back down. There was so much to think about, so much to do for tomorrow, and yet... His eyes felt heavy, and all he wanted to do was _sleep_. Turning onto his side, he closed his eyes, hoping that tomorrow would be better.

Yet, it seemed that even in his dreams something was wrong.

* * *

at some point it's going to stop being a rehash of the p5 opening but this is kind of like, building into it ? there's more pleasant boy pleasantries on the way at least i hope, i have no sense of pacing, i dunno i just wanted to write goro in a ponytail


	3. zarrow

Goro had _tried_ to sleep, he really did- yet as the sun began to filter through his window and illuminate the dust motes, he found himself rubbing at his eyes and struggling to stay awake. A strange dream, made stranger by the _familiarity_ of it all, made him feel like he'd been up all night, and yet...

 _Stone walls the color of the sea loomed over him, cold chains on his hands and colder concrete at his back; iron bars caged him into the corner of his cell. His cell? Goro shot up from his "bed", staggering at the weight of a ball and chain wrapped around his foot, and suddenly he was acutely aware of how cold it was in the thin prisoner's clothes he was given. Dragging himself to the bars, he leaned forwards, peering through. Cells, everywhere, and in the center of it all was a table- two golden eyes stared at him, he realized with a jolt. And yet..._

 _He knew this place. A place between mind and matter, dream and reality- he'd been here before, in a far-off dream._

 _The twins- they were twins, Caroline and Justine- how did he know their names?- glared him down coldly. "Inmate", they called him, though Justine's yellow gaze flickered for a moment, a moment- they watched his movements, copied his steps, and eventually came to stand before the bars. As his hands touched the cold metal they turned, addressing the other party in the room, and Goro's breath caught in his throat._

" _Trickster... Welcome to my Velvet Room."_

"You look terrible," Sojiro told him as he came down the stairs, and Goro couldn't help but feel inclined to agree. Thankfully the older man had offered to drive him to Shujin- no trains to catch, no worries about missing his station- and he took the opportunity to drift, to dream. Sojiro had remained quiet during their car ride, giving Goro plenty of time to nap- he'd only started to stir when they pulled up to the school.

 _The strange man- Igor, something deep inside of Goro told him that Igor was the man's name- extended a gloved hand. His smile was sinister, his brows furrowed, and Goro felt the need to reach out, to take Igor's hand despite his expression. Fingers curling around the bars, he was barely aware of what the twins were saying._

" _The you in reality is currently fast asleep," Justine spoke softly, almost gently, "You are experiencing this only as a dream."_

 _Caroline's voice, on the other hand, cut through his thoughts like a knife. "You're in the presence of our master, stand up straight!"_

Shujin's principal was a strange, round man- rotund and small, suspiciously egg-shaped- he sat in stark contrast to the strange man in his dreams, yet they had the same furrowed eyebrows. His eyes glared right into Goro's, cold and discerning, and Goro could only agree- he was a criminal, after all.

 _Respect your elders, Goro._

A long-forgotten mantra resurfaced from his memories, something that had been drilled into him since _she_ departed from this world by foster parents, by fellow students, by teachers. The principal introduced his teacher, who looked nearly as tired as he felt and less than happy about the situation. Complaining or trying to look bad would cause Sojiro to be upset, would cause everyone to be upset, and so Goro found himself instinctively slipping into a mask, a facade.

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am. I'll be in your care," In the gentlest voice he could muster, Goro smiled at Kawakami, who looked pleasantly surprised. He slightly bowed his head to look humble, before taking his student ID and tucking it in his pocket. "I'll try not to cause too much trouble for you."

"A-ah, alright..." It seemed everyone was stunned by his behavior, especially the principal, who stammered a bit before quickly righting himself. Kawakami let herself smile, just a little bit- Goro could see the sides of her mouth quirk up into the slightest smile, and Sojiro exhaled slightly as if trying not to laugh.

"It's good to see you know that your actions will have consequences. If you get into any trouble, there's nowhere else that will take you."

"I'm very much aware of that, sir."

Ah, he'd spoken out of turn. The principal's hard gaze returned, though it shifted over to Sojiro. "Take care of him, Sakura-san. Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble outside."

" _You truly are a prisoner of fate. You must be rehabilitated- rehabilitated towards freedom."_

" _Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation."_

 _My rehabilitation..?_

Goro leaned against the car window, watching as traffic began to slow to a halt. The radio was a soft din in the background, though he could see Sojiro move out of the corner of his eye, turning up the radio.

"A subway has derailed at Shibuya station, greatly affecting the timetable all across the..-"

"Another accident?" Sojiro muttered in disbelief under his breath, fingers tapping away at the steering wheel. "There's been a lot of those lately. No wonder it's so backed up here."

 _An accident..?_ Flashes of memories- or maybe lucid dreams- went through Goro's mind. Why did that sound so familiar...?

...

 _Another accident._

Her sharp eyes were trained on the TV screen as a reporter attempted to detail what little was known about the mysterious train accident- the conductor didn't know what he was doing, his mind wasn't in the right place. To her side the SIU director spoke: _this will go all the way to the top_ , he said, _this was a crime of the company, the government._

It was all linked. It _had_ to be linked, the drastic changes, the mysterious accidents, everything. Her eyes narrowed behind thin glasses as the Director continued to speak, topic shifting from the case at hand to the prospect of going out for a drink. Of course, she declined- "I have another meeting after this. I should get going."

 _I won't rest until this job is settled._

And then, she excused herself from the room, shutting the door behind her. She held her briefcase close as she walked to the staircase, eyes flitting to a curly mop of black hair- a boy, leaning on a banister, phone in hand. They'd met before, but she could never quite place what was wrong with him- his image, or how she perceived it- his blazer a shade of black, his gloves a garish red, she'd always chalked it up to his poor sense of fashion.

Hearing the sound of her heels _click_ against tile, he glanced up- those _eyes_ stared into her, giving her a sense of discomfort. Yet, he was soft, he was gentle until the time came for him to pounce, and then his expression shifted- he was like a cat, in that way. His glasses were tucked in his breast pocket, though he instinctively went to push them up as he smiled at her.

"Did you ask for me? Is it a case?" Even his voice held a certain pleasant tone to it, as he began to walk down the stairs with her.

"Not quite. I want your opinion on something."

"Me? But your judgement is usually correct, though," He shrugged dismissively, and quickly took his glasses out to put them on. She didn't slow down, and smiled to herself just slightly when he heard his footsteps become louder, but quicker- he was trying to match up with the pace she'd set. "But, since I'm still a student and you're making me work late, why don't we go get something to eat? There's this one diner in Shibuya I study at all the time, but it's really good there, or we could get su-"

"As long as you pay for yourself, Kurusu."

A disappointed sigh, followed by a soft laugh- what had he expected to hear? Finally Kurusu caught up to her, and she let her concentration lapse for a moment to notice that he'd gotten taller, and stood a little over her. Kurusu seemed to notice this as well, crouching a little awkwardly to have them at eye-level for a moment before smiling and returning to his normal height.

"Whatever you say, Isshiki-san."

* * *

slams that mf italics button

i can't read i edited it a bit because im illiterate

next time, probably: goro "pleasant boy- delinquent' akechi gets chaotic


	4. dovetail

The next night had been quiet; no visits from the Velvet Room, leaving Goro in comfortable silence as he drifted off to sleep. That night he'd dreamt of boats, of a sea that threatened to drown him, and he woke up in a cold sweat, chest heaving for air. There was the odd taste of metal in his mouth, as well- he'd bitten the inside of his cheek in his sleep, apparently, but there was no pain. Just the taste of blood.

Sojiro had been kind enough to make him breakfast, a mild-tasting curry that Goro finished in an instant, craving more afterwards but too embarrassed to ask for seconds. If he hadn't been running late for school, he would've asked for a cup of coffee, as well- something just felt _right_ about it. _I'll ask him when I get back_.

The trains were full of people, despite yesterday's accident, and he clung onto his bag for dear life as a stampede of people went to and fro, gently nudging his way to his line and getting on just in the nick of time. He took the moment to stare out the window, watching as the storm clouds began to accumulate and darken. Droplets began to patter at the train window.

 _I forgot an umbrella._

Shoes splashing up rainwater, Goro hurried along the street before ducking under a storefront awning, running a hand through damp brown locks- at this rate, he'd be late. When he checked his phone for the time, the strange red icon came up again, flashing over a map with his location- but he paid it no mind for the moment. He watched a couple of other Shujin students hurry by, huddled under umbrellas, and felt a twinge of envy. The soft sound of panting, followed by the growing noise of footsteps, caused him to turn his gaze away from them.

She was nearly drowning in a large pink hoodie, her leggings soaked by the puddles she splashed into- Goro could barely see the poor girl underneath the hood, which looked soaked right through. Without saying a word she hurried underneath the canopy as well, her delicate yet calloused hands slowly going up to her hood...

When she tugged it down, wringing it out, her soft brown hair cascaded out, curls framing her face nicely. She looked tired, so tired, yet Goro couldn't help but frown. It took a moment before the girl turned to acknowledge him, brown eyes darting up and a soft smile spreading across her face, but Goro could _see_ the flicker in her eyes- she was just as taken aback as he was.

"Um, excuse me, have we m-"

Her gentle voice was drowned out by the sound of a car, sending up rainwater and coming to a halt in front of them. The girl seemed to recoil at this, taking a step back as the window began to roll down. Both of them seemed to frown at the man sitting inside.

"Good morning! Do you want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late," He spoke politely enough, and seemed to be a teacher- a gym teacher, going by the looks of his outfit. Yet the girl seemed to be uncomfortable, even as she approached him.

"Um, sure... Thank you," She spoke one last time, nearly being drowned out by the sound of the rain. Turning back to Goro, the look in her eyes was hard to place- she looked worried, as if asking for help, but when she turned to look at the man in the car she quickly changed back to a soft smile. _She's faking it_ , was Goro's first thought, _that smile isn't genuine_.

"Do you want a ride too?" The teacher turned to him, asking in an innocuous tone, and Goro quickly turned him down with the politest 'no thank you, sir' that he could muster. As the window rolled up, he got a final glimpse of the girl, downcast brown eyes staring at her lap, her hands gently wringing at the bottom of her hoodie.

 _He's using her_. For what, Goro couldn't figure out from their body language, but his skills at deducing things were sufficient enough to gain that small bit of information, at least. He kept his pleasant mask up, giving her a gentle smile as the car began to roll away.

With the girl gone, Goro looked off in the direction of the school, sighing. Maybe he should've taken that ride, as awkward as that would've been... He slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and turned to hurry down the street, when he heard footsteps again. These were much clumsier, and slower, and were punctuated with a very loud _splash_ \- Goro turned around quickly in shock.

There was someone, face-down on the sidewalk- his uniform was Shujin's, but now it was muddied with rainwater. Goro dropped his bag- making sure it was safe and dry- and quickly hurried over to the boy, helping him sit up. His dark hair, also damp and dripping, fell in front of one of his eyes.

"Are... Are you alright?" His pleasant facade returning- though the concern he felt for this stranger that had randomly collapsed was genuine- Goro checked the boy for any scrapes. His skin was chalky pale, concerningly so, and while his legs were long and he looked tall, his figure was so thin. Yet, he looked unfazed by it.

"I'm quite alright, thank you. This is a common occurrence," The boy spoke, his voice deeper, smoother than what Goro would've expected. He pushed his hair back and got up to his feet, legs wobbling. "I suppose a visit to the nurse's office is in order, though."

 _Uh, yeah, of course you will,_ Goro bit back the retort and let the boy lean on him for a moment- it seemed that he was feeling better enough to stand on his own, anyway. Curiosity eating away at him, Goro piped up with a question. "Excuse me, do you know who that was? The man that just came by to pick that girl up."

"Kamoshida?" Not Kamoshida- _san_ , Goro noted- whoever this boy was, he didn't seem to like Kamoshida very much. Then again, Goro couldn't help but agree: he'd only seen a glimpse of him, but there was just that _feeling_ that he should hate whoever Kamoshida was. Surprisingly enough, the boy could notice the slight surprise on Goro's face, and quickly added- "He acts as if he is the king of his castle. We respect him, but mostly out of fear- when he's not around, we don't have to stay as cordial."

"The school's his castle, then..." From the girl's body language, Goro could guess whatever Kamoshida was doing was as reprehensible- yet, what could they do about it? Checking his phone quickly for the time, he sighed. At this rate, they were going to be late. The boy didn't seem very fazed by it, and simply gestured at him to come along as he walked down an alleyway- a shortcut?

Both of them seemed to cringe, though- Goro held his head as a searing headache began, with the strange boy doing the same. The world seemed to darken, tinge red, yet neither of them spoke up as they walked down the alleyway- Goro supposed talking would make the headache return in full force, anyway. Yet, when they actually got to where Shujin was supposed to be, he couldn't help but speak up.

"This... _Is_ the school, isn't it?"

Where his school had been only a day before, Goro stared up at a large castle, complete with a drawbridge, a moat, and high parapets that loomed over the two of them and cast shadows on the already darkened area surrounding them. The strange boy accompanying him seemed to be taken aback by it, quietly staring up at the large structure for a moment before coming back to reality, facing Goro.

"We didn't take a wrong turn anywhere. This _is_ where the school should be, I believe..."

 _I believe? Oh, wow, that's helpful._ "I guess we'll just have to go inside and ask then, right?"

The inside of the castle was lit by flickering candles and a large chandelier that sung precariously above their heads, shadows long and shrouding the very edges of the front hall. Goro's eyes trained on a painting of the man that he'd seen before, but romanticized, sword in hand as he stood against his castle. Stranger still, when he looked too long, his vision flickered- sometimes he saw the castle, other times he saw what _looked_ like the school. The strange boy slowly walked forwards, looking around- his hands twitched at his sides and he slowly raised them, as if framing the scene before him.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm... Not quite sure myself. It just feels as if I need to remember what all of this looks like."

The clanking noise of armor caught their attention, and both of them turned to see a castle guard- something deep down told Goro that whatever it was, it wasn't human. Goro quickly took hold of the strange boy's wrist, tugging him along and making a beeline for the entrance. "We _have_ to get out of here, hurry-"

It seemed the guards emerged from the shadows, as more began to surround the two. Neither of them were equipped for a fight, and with nowhere to run, Goro pressed his lips into a thin scowl- the strange boy was frowning as well, and his expression sent chills down Goro's spine. He looked absolutely _livid_ , or maybe that was just what his face looked like when he was angry, but expressions couldn't win fights.

The guards went for the other boy first, bringing their shields down on him- he staggered to the ground, and Goro made a move to help him up and _run_ , but they quickly came after him as well. A hard shield collided with the back of his head, and the next thing Goro was aware of was his cheek, up against the plush carpet of the castle floor, being unceremoniously dragged by his feet towards...

"Take them away!" A voice, distorted and _wrong_ , was the last thing he heard before his vision faded to black.

...

Someone was shaking him awake. A voice, smooth and deep, was trying to reach out to him, gentle prodding in stark contrast to the pain he felt throughout his body. "Wake up, please."

Goro partially opened one eye, vision spotty and swimming in the darkness of wherever he was- his back was up against something hard, and he could just make out the outline of shackles on the wall.

 _Another cell. I hope waking up in a prison doesn't become a running thing this year._

Sitting up, he glanced at the boy crouching next to him, concern etched on his face. Goro could notice the slight relaxing of his expression- at least they weren't alone in this mess. "I... Suppose this isn't a dream, then," the boy spoke, almost incredulously. "Though, as strange as this place is, I have to admit it has its own unique aesthetic..."

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?" Pleasant facade be _damned_ , Goro was not in the mood to talk aesthetics. He recoiled at the sound of his own voice, harsh and a little hoarse, but got up from his bed to look around. Shackles on the walls, the sound of screaming that echoed through the halls- staggering to the bars, the _clank-clank-clank_ of armor began to grow louder. The guards had returned.

"Be glad your punishment has been decided upon," the distorted voice spoke again- they were being charged with unlawful entry, and... "thus, you will be sentenced to death."

"Oh, hell no," Goro muttered under his breath, hands clenching at the bars. There were footsteps again, and as he looked up to see who was approaching, he wished he'd turned away.

"No one's allowed to do as they please in _my_ castle," came a distorted, yet familiar voice- both boys found themselves looking into the golden gaze of what _looked_ like Kamoshida, but notably without pants. The strange version of Kamoshida had a crown on his head, and a red cloak that was painful on the eyes but thankfully covered any parts of him the two didn't want to see. 'Kamoshida' glanced over at the strange boy, disdain in his face, and he smirked. "Is that you, Kitagawa? I'd have thought you learned your lesson by now."

"Not only did you intrude in my castle, but you insulted me- the _king_! It's time for an execution," 'Kamoshida' turned to the guards, who nodded back at him without a second thought. "Take him out."

What happened next was a blur- the guards had come in, had pushed Kitagawa to the ground despite his best attempts at fighting back, battering him with their shields- Goro was acutely aware of one of them stomping onto Kitagawa's right hand, and _hard_. The door was wide open, and all of their attention was on Kitagawa, but Goro stood in place, watching- waiting, but for what? Kitagawa raised his head just barely, a pained expression on his face as he called out to Goro- "Run."

He wasn't paralyzed in fear- no, he would never be scared stiff- but Goro couldn't move. He stepped forwards to try and pull the guard closest to him away from Kitagawa, but the gesture was feeble. 'Kamoshida' smirked at him, his voice teasing and condescending in the _worst_ way. "What, too scared to run away? Pathetic scum like you isn't worth my time."

 _Pathetic scum_...?

'Kamoshida' turned his attention back to Kitagawa, punching him a few times before letting him hit the floor with a dull _thump_. "A peasant like you isn't worth beating. I'll just have you killed right here-"

"Have you lost your mind?!" Finding his voice, Goro quickly distracted 'Kamoshida' and the guards before any of them could raise a weapon- at the cost of having 'Kamoshida's' attention on him. The man loomed over him, but Goro didn't feel fear- no, the fear had gone away a long time ago, replaced with something that burned inside him, something that caused him to narrow his eyes up at the man purely out of spite. That cold expression, judging him, acting high and mighty- it reminded him of the principal from the day before, the residents of the Velvet Room, and everyone who'd spoken to him after the trial, during his probation.

 _You're not better than me. Stop acting like you're hot shit._

'Kamoshida' kicked him down to the ground with a surprising amount of strength, but it only made Goro's rage burn brighter, hotter- the guards had converged on Kitagawa, had held him back and pinned him against the wall, but he _fought,_ and struggled to get free. A blue butterfly fluttered across his vision, a soft voice reaching him from somewhere beyond.

 _This is truly an unjust game... Your chances of winning are almost none._

 _Tell me something I don't know, butterfly._ Goro found it in himself to quickly retort to the gentle voice, which paused- apparently, she hadn't been expecting a reply.

 _But my voice is reaching you- there is still a possibility open to you!_

His vision went white for a minute, but he could hear another voice- one deeper, less gentle, that broke through his thoughts with a wild tone to its voice.

 _Look at him, lording over you like this. It makes you furious, doesn't it?_

 _You want to put him in his place, don't you? No, you want revenge- to trample him underfoot like the scum he is._

 _You want to enact your 'justice' on him, do you not?_

The voice sounded like his, but different- free, but in a way Goro never would've imagined. Kitagawa was still fighting, even as the largest guard picked him up and held the blade to his throat- any longer and Kitagawa would be dead, and Goro would be next. 'Kamoshida' smirked, watching the scene play out.

 _What will you do if you stay complacent? He will die, and that man will never face the consequences._

 _But you- you can be the judge. You can be the jury._

Rage flared through him just as his headache returned in full force- his heartbeat quickened, he knew what he had to do.

 _You can be the executioner._

He could only nod, his thoughts clouded with the need for revenge- not just on Kamoshida, but on _everyone_ who'd done him wrong, memories of things that he couldn't recall flashed through his mind, only fueling the fire. If the voice inside his head could've smirked, Goro was sure that it would've.

 _Very well. I've heeded your resolve._

The pain was beginning to become unbearable, red-hot and aching throughout his entire body. His heart beat faster, and he tried his hardest not to make a noise, but it _hurt_ \- he thrashed around like his body was being controlled by a puppeteer who jerked his movements, fighting wildly against the pain inside him, the guards holding him back.

 _I am thou, thou art I, thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice!_

 _Call upon thy name, and release thy rage!_

 _Show thy strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!_

The pain, while it didn't subside in the slightest, seemed to be drowned out in something _else_ \- Goro slowly, slowly looked up, resolve in his eyes, as 'Kamoshida' called for the execution.

"That's _enough_." The voice that came out of Goro's mouth didn't feel like his own, rough and deep and _dark_ \- it shocked 'Kamoshida' into turning around, and the guards into dropping Kitagawa to the ground. The boy laid there, motionless, but still breathing.

"You desire to be killed that much? Then fine." A wave of 'Kamoshida's' hand, and a shield collided with Goro's face, but he didn't stagger. There was a blade at his throat, and the pain had come back, and yet... 'Kamoshida' raised his hand again, ready to give the signal.

 _No. I'm not done yet._

A surge of power caused everyone to brace themselves, and Kitagawa slowly sat up against the wall, an odd look crossing his face. Goro's hands shakily went up, touching the mask that had seemingly materialized on him- it was a black mask, tinged a deep scarlet at the ends, cold to the touch. He knew what he had to do, he _knew_ , and curled his fingers around the edges, staggering with the pain of ripping it off in one motion, blood spattering his clothes, the floor, the mask- running in rivulets down his face and dripping down.

The _scream_ he released even sent a chill down his spine, one that only gave way to the velvet-colored flames that engulfed his body, that threatened to spread to the guards, which were blown away by the sheer amount of _power_ that came off of him. Kitagawa was thankfully unharmed, but the expression he was making...

Goro was too busy to think about what was going on in the strange boy's head, and gripped the sabre that seemingly appearing in his hand. As the flames began to subside, Goro realized his entire appearance had changed- pitch black clothing that clung tightly to him, intricate stripes that wrapped around his body. For the first time since coming to Tokyo, he felt in control of himself, of the situation- and a smile crossed his face, the power surging up and threatening to spill over, as if he couldn't control himself. Reaching deep into his mind for the name, he called his true self out- his tone wild, just as the voice had been.

"Come to me... _**Loki**_ _!_ "

* * *

pleasant boy who ?

yusuke hits the ground like, three times in this chapter,

the deck is shuffled, just poorly i guess, whoever changed things is really shitty at shuffling


End file.
